Outdoor Fun in Idaho

When Ryan and I were dating, a friend of a friend asked me to tell her about my boyfriend.  I mentioned that he was from Idaho, and she freaked out.  "Idaho!  Such a romantic state!  I feel electric when I am in Idaho!"  

Now obviously this girl was a real character, but I have thought of her comment in the years since, especially when I've seen all of the beauty and varied landscapes that Idaho has to offer.  I don't know if I'd say I feel electric when I am here, but I am often surprised by all of the hidden beauty in this state.  And I've never even made it to northern Idaho--areas like Coeur d'Alene, which I've heard are absolutely stunning.  (That's on my bucket list.  Maybe Ry should take me for my 30th birthday in the spring?)

We had some great family adventures exploring the outdoors of central Idaho this fall.  Whenever Ry has a day off and the weather is good, we try to go on a little day trip (otherwise we end up wasting the day doing chores and surfing the Internet).  Here are a few photos of some of the highlights: 

*Balanced Rock.  This interesting rock formation is in the middle of the Idaho desert.  Noah loved climbing around, and he still tells me that certain foods or shapes he sees remind him of "Balanced Rock."  Interestingly, just a mile away from this desert landmark is a green, verdant little park in a river canyon.  Such a contrast in scenery!  And on the way home, we stopped at the local Cloverleaf Creamery and got farm fresh milk and ice cream.  Yum.

*Miracle Hot Springs.  This little gem is about 45 minutes from our house in the middle of nowhere, and it was surprisingly nice.  Pools of different temperatures open all year round.  We will definitely go back, maybe in the winter when it's snowy.  That might be kind of fun.

Sorry if you are blinded by my husband's sexy white chest.

*Sun Valley.  We are no strangers to this part of Idaho; Ryan's grandparents have had a cabin there  his whole life, and I've written before about how I fell in love with Ryan there.  But this fall, Ryan embarked on a new adventure in those familiar mountains: He biked 110 miles over Galena Summit and back with his dad!  They did an organized ride with lots of other bikers, and they really enjoyed it.  The only catastrophe was that Ryan got stung by a bee right underneath his eye, and he swelled up and looked a bit like Quasimodo.  A darn cute Quasimodo--I can't believe I didn't get a photo!

*Thousand Springs State Park.  This is actually a series of seven parks between Twin Falls and Boise, and we haven't yet figured out the best places to go.  It's confusing because there doesn't seem to be any rangers or park information anywhere to direct you to the most scenic spots.  But we will keep searching for great places!  A few weeks ago, we went to the Malad Gorge and were disappointed, but then we got lucky and went to Niagara Springs and really enjoyed it.  I don't know if the photos do it justice, but these springs just come pouring right out of the middle of the canyon walls.  They don't originate in rivers--I guess they originate in underground lakes that spill out of the soft canyon rock.  Crazy.  

*And last but not least, good ol' Twin Falls.  I am amazed by the beauty that is right in our backyard, particularly with the Snake River and the canyon nearby.  There is a paved Canyon Rim Trail where we enjoy walking, and there's also a short but pretty canal trail near our house that passes some spectacular and huge trees.  The fall colors were beautiful last month.

Don't mind the port-a-potty--aren't the trees awesome?

Idaho really is a beautiful place.  I am sad that it's cold now so we can't continue going on our outdoor excursions, but maybe we'll find some wintery fun in the coming months.  We'll see.